LAHORE: According to reports, the Punjab government has amended the nikah form, declaring conducting blood tests of the bride and groom mandatory before their nikah to avoid genetic transmission of deadly diseases among their children and contagious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis between the couple.

According to details, the provincial Local Government and Community Development Department has sent a notification to all the district coordination officers and commissioners who would be responsible for the execution of the order.

The notification states that the government has made it compulsory for brides and grooms to provide identity cards of their parents and witnesses of their marriage, along with a blood test report declaring both partners free from any disease. It has also made it compulsory for the parents of the bride and groom to sign the nikah form.

Similarly, passport-size photographs of the couple would be attached to the form along with the exact dates of birth of the bride and groom.

However, human rights activists criticised the idea of having parents sign the nikah form, saying such a move would increase the number of forced marriages. A Punjab government spokesman said some sections had been added to the nikah form on the federal government’s instructions, issued after a decision of the Peshawar High Court.

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